Do you ever feel like the missing piece of a puzzle looking for a place to fit, wondering about your purpose and place in the “big picture”? Just as a puzzle piece is uniquely shaped, you are uniquely shaped to fill a certain place in the “big picture” by fulfilling your God given life purpose. Newsflash! The “big picture” is not complete without you.
Every part, every moment of your life, your relationships, your work and ministry, offers opportunities to fulfill your life purpose. Opportunities to fill that place you uniquely fit into. You will experience great satisfaction and peace when you are fulfilling your life purpose. Knowing your purpose gives you incredible power to make choices and to act. How do we discover our life purpose? Recently I was inspired to consider this quote from Frederick Buechner, Presbyterian Minister and author, “The place God has for you is the place your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
What is your deep gladness? What are you passionate about? Remember a time in your life when you were most fulfilled. A time when you knew you were at the right place, at the right time, using your gifts, in the flow, having great impact. What was happening? What were you experiencing? How were you being? What message were you conveying?
I recall times of experiencing deep gladness, times when I knew that I was doing what I was created to do. I was being passionate, peaceful, and purposeful, and connected. There is a common theme that runs through those memories. I feel the most fulfilled, when I am using my gifts to restore healthy relationships, establishing and renewing heart connections. This is where my deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.
Our life purpose calls us forth. It has been with us since we were very young. In fact some of us have experienced that call so loudly in midlife that we step off of the path we are on to search for fulfillment, a return to the real satisfaction we glimpsed many years ago. What were you like as a child? What did you love? Look back and see the glimmer of what you are created for.
David was the shepherd boy who slew the giant Goliath and became King of Israel. He has been remembered for centuries as a shepherd of the people and renowned as a warrior king, a leader of mighty men - a man after God’s own heart. Acts 13:36 says this of King David, "David…served God's purpose in his own generation…” What is your purpose in your own generation?
I would love to hear what you think about that question. You can contact me at Coach_Cindy@hotmail.com or call 505-632-1998 and we can schedule a complimentary coaching session to begin discovering where you fit in “the big picture”.
Sincerely,
Cindy
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Living from Deep Roots
Do you ever find yourself bored, bugged, on the edge of burnout or just in a comfortable rut? I sure do! What is this all about? Maybe we are living our lives outside of what we truly value.
Living according to our values brings fulfillment, satisfaction and good fruit. Living outside of our values causes a sense of disharmony and discontent. If your life and work aren’t aligned with your values, you may be getting results, but you are unlikely to be thriving or experiencing full satisfaction. It is vital to understand our values in order to align our actions with them.
Think of your life as a tree, your roots are your values, the qualities of who you are and who you want to be. Your branches and the fruit they bear are your habits or actions that reflect your deep values. What do your good habits and actions say about your values, your quality of being?
I asked myself this question and this is what I found. I make my bed every day – I value order. I exercise often and try to eat right (step away from the brownies, Cindy!) – I value health. I plant flowers and love to watch them grow – I value beauty. Take a thoughtful moment to ask yourself this question. Write down what you discover. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Try this. Think about the music you listen to regularly, and consider the values this music represents. This can be an eye opener (or ear opener, as it may be). Listen again to some of your favorite songs, paying special attention to the lyrics. Describe which values the songs seem to promote.
Some of my favorite music is country western. The rhythms and the lyrics speak to my soul. Songs like, “I Believe” by Brooks and Dunn, “Livin’ Our Love Song” by Michael Jason Carrol and “I Want to Live” by Josh Gracin, bring tears to my eyes and a thrill to my heart. The values expressed in these songs are; life in Gods word, committed relationships and passion for an authentic life. I guess the reason they touch me so, is that these are some of my values too.
How can I align my actions with these values? I can spend time daily soaking up the Word of God. I can continue to pursue a growing, loving relationship with my husband of 25 years. I can make choices to live passionately and authentically, true to my values, taking appropriate risks to that end. What will you do to align your actions with the values you are discovering?
This may be the beginning of finding your deep roots. Maybe you are just beginning to think about changing some habits and determining actions that align with your values so that your life is more fulfilling and satisfying, bearing good fruit. I encourage you in your discovery and would be happy to assist you. Write to me at Coach_Cindy@hotmail.com and we will schedule a ½ hour complimentary coaching session around values.
Remember the analogy of the tree I mentioned earlier? I leave you with Jeremiah 17:7, 8,
Living according to our values brings fulfillment, satisfaction and good fruit. Living outside of our values causes a sense of disharmony and discontent. If your life and work aren’t aligned with your values, you may be getting results, but you are unlikely to be thriving or experiencing full satisfaction. It is vital to understand our values in order to align our actions with them.
Think of your life as a tree, your roots are your values, the qualities of who you are and who you want to be. Your branches and the fruit they bear are your habits or actions that reflect your deep values. What do your good habits and actions say about your values, your quality of being?
I asked myself this question and this is what I found. I make my bed every day – I value order. I exercise often and try to eat right (step away from the brownies, Cindy!) – I value health. I plant flowers and love to watch them grow – I value beauty. Take a thoughtful moment to ask yourself this question. Write down what you discover. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Try this. Think about the music you listen to regularly, and consider the values this music represents. This can be an eye opener (or ear opener, as it may be). Listen again to some of your favorite songs, paying special attention to the lyrics. Describe which values the songs seem to promote.
Some of my favorite music is country western. The rhythms and the lyrics speak to my soul. Songs like, “I Believe” by Brooks and Dunn, “Livin’ Our Love Song” by Michael Jason Carrol and “I Want to Live” by Josh Gracin, bring tears to my eyes and a thrill to my heart. The values expressed in these songs are; life in Gods word, committed relationships and passion for an authentic life. I guess the reason they touch me so, is that these are some of my values too.
How can I align my actions with these values? I can spend time daily soaking up the Word of God. I can continue to pursue a growing, loving relationship with my husband of 25 years. I can make choices to live passionately and authentically, true to my values, taking appropriate risks to that end. What will you do to align your actions with the values you are discovering?
This may be the beginning of finding your deep roots. Maybe you are just beginning to think about changing some habits and determining actions that align with your values so that your life is more fulfilling and satisfying, bearing good fruit. I encourage you in your discovery and would be happy to assist you. Write to me at Coach_Cindy@hotmail.com and we will schedule a ½ hour complimentary coaching session around values.
Remember the analogy of the tree I mentioned earlier? I leave you with Jeremiah 17:7, 8,
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Sincerely,
Cindy
Cindy
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